State Licensing Board Charged 61 Violators

Howard Williams, administrator of the State Contractors Licensing Board in Little Rock, said there were 61 total violations in Benton and Washington counties for the first two quarters of the fiscal year, which ends June 30. Of the violations, 51 were for commercial projects and 10 were for residential projects.

It’s illegal for contractors from any state to work in Arkansas on jobs worth $20,000 or more without a license from the board.

The three-home exemption that got some contractors around the $20,000 rule was revoked in July of 2003. The exemption allowed contractors to work on up to three homes in the state without being licensed, Williams said.

The Licensing Board allowed a grace period but really started cracking down on contractors violating the revoked exemption in January 2004. Investigators for the board are also beginning to pursue residential violations more aggressively, Williams said.

There were 118 total violations in the two counties between July 1, 2004, and June 30, 2005, worth a total of $22.2 million. Of those violations, 18 were for residential construction.